Ian and Maeve's African Adventure

by Ian Archibald



Recently Maeve and I traveled to Cameroon for an adventure chaperoned by our son Daniel. On approaching Cameroon I thought we would be able to categorize our adventure into “the good, the bad, and the ugly.” A week later we emerged from the country with many wonderful experiences, especially remembering the many friends our son has connected with, both fellow Americans as well as local Cameroonians. In hindsight I think it would be more appropriate to think of our trip in terms of the amazing, the surprising, and the downright scary.

The Amazing:
-When your son has been away from home for two years in Africa your imagination has you concerned. Traveling with him to his village in the Extreme North region of Cameroon, we were amazed by the kind of reception and warm welcome we received. We did not get to meet all of Daniel's friends, but these people with very little to offer other than themselves and their hospitality were wonderful and engaging. We could learn some lessons here.

-Daniel's surroundings/living conditions could be best described as a low level Boy Scout camp with a roof. His recruiter at Peace Corps asked him before his departure in 2008 whether he was comfortable living in “sub standard housing.” He has clearly adapted well.
Inside Dan's House

The Backyard


-The Thursday “Grand Marche” was the highlight of our trip to Cameroon. This is the weekly market in Bogo. I think it is Cameroon's answer to Walmart. It's all here. Longhorn cows, goats of many shades, and chickens....yes, alive with their feet tied together sharing space on a long stick so they can be carried around...fast food of a sort. Bicycle parts, fabric, tailors to work with the fabric, fresh produce and meat, beds, spices by the wheelbarrow load. Everything you could possibly need you will find here.
Shopping around for some poultry

Local Tailors at work

Fabric for sale

The Bogo butchers



Spices


-Also, Cameroon boasts 32 oz bottles of beer for $1!!

-And who knew spaghetti omelets in the Bogo night market would taste that good?

-We didn't go on safari but we did visit a primate reclamation project which saves young primates whose parents have been killed by poachers for bush meat. Seeing lowland gorillas, baboons, chimpanzees, and several species of monkeys in a Jurassic Park-like enclosure was wonderful. The project is supported by the U.S. Government.



The Surprising:
-We traveled to Yaounde, Cameroon, via Brussels Airways and traveled internally to Maroua on a domestic carrier called Air Leasing. Forget the old cliches; these airlines were efficient, comfortable, and on time!

-It's really green in Cameroon in August. It was also in the 80's which was quite pleasant. Definitely some humidity, but still comfortable. And it rained everyday! Toto was correct.

-And how about $10 bottles of Bordeaux red wine?!?

-Daniel and I had an encounter with the hospital services in Cameroon. It was clean, efficient, and get this: 2 visits with the doctor, 3 lab tests and a prescription....total cost: $65. Total time: 2 hours! More on the reason for the visit later.

-The place is teeming with motorcycles. 90% of them are made in China. French colonialism may be gone, but look out for China in Africa.
Moto taxis going about their work in Maroua

A more traditional form of locomotion, en route to the Bogo market

And you won't find an inch of spare room in the vehicles

-Everyone has heard about AIDS in Africa. It is a very serious problem. However, outside the main cities, particularly in the Extreme North, I understand that it is not as common as in other areas of the country. Why? One explanation could be that these people are religious, and predominantly Muslim in the northern region of the country. The girls are typically married at a young age and stay within family units. Men pray up to 5 times daily and most seem very committed to their families, even if it includes more than one wife. On our way out of Cameroon we stayed briefly in a nice hotel room in Yaounde- complete with condoms in each bedside table!

-The women are dressed in the most beautiful, colorful outfits. Unfortunately that may be the best part about their life. If you looked closely they usually had an infant on their backs and a large load atop their head, all while doing their daily work.

The Downright Scary:
-Malaria and other bugs. Daniel had an acute case of malaria while we were visiting. Seeing your 27 year old athletic son start complaining about knee pain, then total body aching, and spiking fever (103.9) within 24 hours is scary. Fortunately the Peace Corps supplies emergency meds for this eventuality and it works. Despite this Daniel has lost 30 lbs during his time in Cameroon likely due to the microbiologic assault on his GI system. McDonalds quarter pound cheeseburgers await his return.

-My own experience is tame by comparison, but despite taking care to eat only cooked food, perhaps because I like being an adventurous eater, it only took a couple of days before a war commenced in my colon. The American choleforms vs. the Cameroonian choleforms. The American guys put up a good fight but things got gurgly. Cameroonian toilets can pose a challenge, trying to squirt into a 6” hole in the floor....well, you get the picture.

-Speaking of toilets, they don't exist outside of cities. Just a hole in the ground. Is it any wonder cholera rears its ugly head?

-Cameroonian cab drivers make their NYC equivalents look lame. There guys can go four abreast on a two lane highway without a second thought. Now, we live in North Carolina – better known as NASCAR nation due to the local driving habits. As a university student I drove city buses for income. I don't flinch too often, but Cameroonian cab drivers have no fear. It's all about getting the nose of your rundown jalopy in front of your neighbor and not letting up. Traffic circles are particularly interesting. While the U.S. has few of these they are very common around the world. The basic principle of the traffic circle is that as you approach you give way to any traffic in the circle. Thereby an orderly movement of traffic occurs. Not in Cameroon. You just charge into the traffic in the circle and play your own game of chicken, totally defeating the purpose of the circle. Not for the faint of heart. It was chaos.

-The foulest smell I encountered in Cameroon was not the septic system...or total lack. It was the fish section of the Grand Marche in Bogo. There was at least a dozen vendors selling smoked fish. It was the foulest stench you can imagine. Maybe that's where Asian fish sauce comes from!
Smoked fish, Mmmmm!

Some Final Thoughts:
We are very proud of the work our son has done. We met an older lady, Daniel's “Cameroonian mother,” who had benefited from his agricultural work. Due to Daniel's efforts in her orchard she was able to use the additional income it produced to make a pilgrimage to Mecca this year...for her a life changing event.
Daniel's friends Djawe Blawe and Oumarou Nassourou are hardworking, entertaining, and self educated people who are using every opportunity they have to improve their situation. They want a better life. No social security network in Cameroon!
Unfortunately the big picture in Africa is still bleak. The infrastructure is poor to nonexistent. Cellphone towers seem to be the only new construction anywhere. This brief exposure to Africa was enlightening. We urge all Peace Corps parents to make this trip. At no time did we feel unsafe in Cameroon (although we have heard from multiple sources to avoid Douala!). We are very glad we made the trip.

Dan and his friend Djawe in some striking Obama outfits

From left: Djawe, Baka, and Dan in Djawe's music and video store in the Bogo night market

Produce stand at the Marche Abatoire in Maroua

From left: Oumarou (Dan's counterpart), Maeve, our driver Saliou, and Ian

Saliou picking out his chicken on the road to Bogo

In Bogo with Dan's Cameroonian mother



Curious kids coming to check out the nassarras

Having a few $1 brews and grilled fish with some PCVs at the Auckland City Bar in Yaounde

Post Script
by Dan

To say that having my folks here for just over a week was enjoyable would be an understatement. I could ramble on about my life here to no end, and if you've read this blog before you'll know that I often do just that. Yet one really must see it to believe it and I'm immensely happy that they could do just that, even if it was only for a short time. With that said I think my mother will tell you that it was long enough, thank you very much!

I must applaud them for their bravado and adventurous spirit. I don't hesitate in saying that Cameroon is a wonderful place to live or just visit, but it is certainly not for the faint of heart. My old man took everything in stride, embraced the laidback nature of life here, and didn't have one single Type-A moment. And it's always nice to have someone around who shares my enthusiasm for giant $1 beers.

True to form, even despite the language barrier, my mother conversated with just about any Cameroonian within earshot. And Cameroonian vendors must have been forewarned about her presence in the country, as they seemed to instinctively know that she is a shopper of international renown. I think the fact that Ian and I kept all their currency in our wallets was the only thing keeping them from leaving with more stuff than they came with.

So thanks for coming...It was great having you here, and I hope it was as enjoyable for you as it was for me. My friends and colleagues that you had the opportunity to meet still ask how you are doing, and while you only spent a week with us here I'm sure they'll remember you fondly for a long time to come.